Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan are unarguably two of Darren Aronofsky's best works. From cinematography to acting to score - all of their elements seem absolutely impeccable when compared to his other feature films.
And indeed, both Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan were very successful commercially and critically, getting the status of modern masterpieces. But this kind of success has also led fans to compare the two in order to determine which one is better based on their different strengths and weaknesses.
Requiem For A Dream: The Soundtrack Stays With Viewers Longer
One thing that definitely stands out in Requiem for a Dream is its amazing soundtrack. Composed by Clint Mansell, it was praised by critics particularly for its minimalism.
By far the most famous track from the movie is "Lux Aeterna" which became a pop culture phenomenon and was reused in different media including movie trailers for such features as Sunshine, I Am Legend, The Da Vinci Code, and others.
Black Swan: The Lead Performers Do A Great Job
It's no surprise that Natalie Portman won the Best Actress award at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs for her lead performance as Nina Sayers - her character is believable indeed.
And more than that - other actors did an equally outstanding job with their roles. From Mila Kunis to Vincent Cassel to Barbara Hershey, all of them are great.
Requiem For A Dream: The Editing Is Unique
Much like the soundtrack of Requiem for a Dream, its editing is equally unique. Darren Aronofsky also used a similar kind of montage in his previous film Pi.
Aronofsky used montages of extremely short shots (which are also referred to as hip hop montage) and split-screen to represent the state in which the main characters found themselves throughout the movie.
Black Swan: The Costume And Set Design Is Quite Intricate
Because it is a movie largely featuring ballet and ballet dancers, the costume and set design had to be done quite intricately to fully immerse the audience into the story.
Though most of the time Nina wears regular clothes, she does have two ballet dresses to perform in on stage during the final scenes. Some other characters like Kunis' Lily also gets her own fair share of beautiful costume designs.
Requiem For A Dream: The Humor Is Much Darker
Aronofsky likes to work with darker themes in his works, especially, it seems when he is making psychological thrillers that explore his characters' inner demons - and Requiem for a Dream is no different.
But the movie seems to make a point of laughing at its characters in a cruel way, integrating darker humor into its story. Viewers can see themselves in these tragic characters and laugh at the utter helplessness of their lives even if this laughter will come from a darker state of mind.
Black Swan: There Are Peculiar Side Characters
Requiem for a Dream has four main characters, which is why it is more focused on their stories than ever, but Black Swan has a slightly different approach to its own characters.
Natalie Portman plays the main character while Mila Kunis plays a prominent supporting role along with other actors. However, there are also some very peculiar side characters that the audience can remember just because of the casting choices made for them (for example, Winona Ryder and Sebastian Stan).
Requiem For A Dream: The Cinematography Is More Impressive
It's unarguable that Aronofsky makes sure that all of his movies stand out visually, but the look of Requiem for a Dream shows more impressive cinematography than Black Swan.
Every single shot looks like it had a lot of thought put into it: the one where Harry and Marion are lying on the floor, the scenes of Sara imagining herself on the game show, and so on.
Black Swan: The Concept Is More Unique
Despite the fact that there are many movies that cover drug addiction (The Basketball Diaries, Trainspotting, and Beautiful Boy just to name a few), there are not that many movies that focus on ballet specifically.
And that's exactly why the concept of Black Swan instantly becomes more unique. It is a movie about obsession which is similar to addiction but still different from it. It is still a movie that largely focuses on ballet and what ballet dancers go through.
Requiem For A Dream: The Atmosphere Pulls Audiences In
The atmosphere of Requiem for a Dream is the one that pulls audiences in immediately. Logically, such a movie is much more interesting to watch because viewers are never bored by it or tired of it.
Whether it is the cinematography or the editing or the acting or all of these things and more together, it's obvious even from the first shots that this movie will be a worthwhile experience.
Black Swan: The Themes Feel Deeper
As mentioned above, both movies are similar in their topics. On the most basic level, obsession and addiction are not that different.
And yet, there are differences in the themes Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream cover with the former having deeper themes that focus on the connection between paranoia and perfection as well as the price of greatness.